Arizona Diamondbacks tickets

Over the past couple of generations, with so much more baseball being broadcast on national television, most fans see Arizona Diamondbacks ballparks for the first time via the tube. But without experiencing a ball-park's ambience in person, you can get a distorted sense of the place. A perfect example is Bank One, or "the Bob," as it is affectionately known to the local fans. When seen on the two-dimensional screen, it's an overly large, phony-looking attempt at retro; in person, though, this is actually a terrific Arizona Diamondbacks ballparks and a great place to see a game.

Comedian Nick diPaolo once commented, "I didn't know Tempe was a quarter-mile from the sun." About ten minutes from that suburb, in downtown Phoenix, rose this marvelous stadium. The retractable-dome roof is closed most days in late morning to protect against the intense desert heat. Despite the supposed difference from the humid heat of Florida, it is oppressively hot in the Valley of the Sun. An announcement overheard from the press box at the start of a game: "First pitch 6:35, as advertised; game time temperature 97 degrees-but dry." It was said more than a little sarcasm.

The roof remains closed often enough to cause severe problems in maintaining the natural grass surface. The mottled appearance of the green fie] detracts only slightly, though, from an otherwise beautiful structure. The intricate steel girders that support the roof, which can and do result in a warehouse effect in many fixed-domed stadiums, are actually attractive here. This modern feel is tempered by a few old-time features such as the dirt path from the pitcher's mound to home plate and the pillars that are in play in deep center field, akin to the flagpoles found in bygone Arizona Diamondbacks ballparks. Modern features include colorful mural panels above the outfield walls that open and close along with the dome, and a swimming pool located just beyond the right-center-field fence, where fans cavort during the game. At dusk, the desert sky is a spectacular backdrop to this modern design wonder.

GREGG JEFFERIES "I think to this day it's my favorite field. It's one  field that when it's closed you can see the ball great, and when it's open you see the ball great. . . . The angles are unbelievable. The field plays as good as any field you'll ever play on. The ball flies pretty well there, too. You look forward to playing there."

LUIS GONZALEZ "It's unique Arizona Diamondbacks ballparks. There's a swimming pool in right center field; we have a retractable roof that we open up before games if the weather's not too hot. We have a center-field area for kids to play-it's called the Clubhouse Zone. I think it's a fan-friendly Arizona Diamondbacks ballparks and a fun place to go watch a game."

RON DAVIS "It's probably the most gorgeous ball-park I've been to, and I've been to about all of them. The only bad thing about it is, it's got too many TVs. People are watching the TV sets instead of watching the game. When the scoreboard's going 'Cheer!' ain't nobody in the stands to see it 'cause they're all drink¬ing beer, getting a hot dog, or underneath the stands in the bar. It's a little bit too nice. People don't come to watch the game-it's more of a social event than a ball game."